Can someone troubleshoot my big xmas day life decision?

[waytheleaveswork]

Had some time this week to reflect on the past year. I've been a teacher for 10 years, same school for the last 8, and realised I need a change. I've been very unhappy with my job for the past 2 years even though I know covid etc is partially to blame.

I rent a flat. No DCs. 30k in savings. I'm 33.

I'd like to hand my notice in, leave in April, do supply for a few months and generally take some time to reassess my work. But wondering if it's madness to throw away a permanent job.

Insane, or should I be bold and go for it?

Grateful for any thoughts, and shout out to anyone else having big epiphanies today!

Well recruitment and retention is dire currently.

So I doubt supply will be hard to get or even a job in a new school.

How about considering teaching abroad for a bit or something completely different?

I’ll be totally honest that I absolutely understand that teaching is tough with long hours. But, so are other jobs. I work in marketing for a private company, I know it comes with benefits (for example, I can work from home 2 days a week), but most jobs are hard. I’m in the office for 7am, sprint home at 4.30pm for the kids then log back on when they are in bed. Plus rounds of redundancies every few years that you just don’t get in teaching.

I just sometimes think maybe when you’re in teaching you think that another career will be the answer to happiness, when actually you could do better finding a way to make teaching work for you.

Also, I know that teachers often work through holidays, but this year I have been able to take zero annual leave from my job. It’s just impossible.

What about teaching abroad? There are lots of options in some really great countries and the pay and conditions are often better than here in the UK. It would give you a chance for some adventure and the opportunity to travel during the holidays.

I’m going to say do it. It’s actually an employees market at the moment. Sometimes you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone to make things happen. I walked out of an awful non-teaching job in fe when I had a mortgage and worked in an entirely different field. I think I could have festered if I hadn’t put myself in an uncomfortable position where I had to make a change. Remember, you only pass this way once.

@Kfjsjdbd

I’ll be totally honest that I absolutely understand that teaching is tough with long hours. But, so are other jobs. I work in marketing for a private company, I know it comes with benefits (for example, I can work from home 2 days a week), but most jobs are hard. I’m in the office for 7am, sprint home at 4.30pm for the kids then log back on when they are in bed. Plus rounds of redundancies every few years that you just don’t get in teaching.

I just sometimes think maybe when you’re in teaching you think that another career will be the answer to happiness, when actually you could do better finding a way to make teaching work for you.

Also, I know that teachers often work through holidays, but this year I have been able to take zero annual leave from my job. It’s just impossible.

Yes I agree - I don't think teaching is any harder than other jobs, just different.

So difficult to weigh up risk against gut feelings. Thanks for your perspective

@Dentistlakes

What about teaching abroad? There are lots of options in some really great countries and the pay and conditions are often better than here in the UK. It would give you a chance for some adventure and the opportunity to travel during the holidays.

Ha as much as my mother drives me up the wall, this pandemic has taught me that I want to be in the same country as my family.

It’s not a given that giving up a stable job without another lined up first would improve your mental health and wellbeing.

@Didiusfalco

I’m going to say do it. It’s actually an employees market at the moment. Sometimes you need to push yourself out of your comfort zone to make things happen. I walked out of an awful non-teaching job in fe when I had a mortgage and worked in an entirely different field. I think I could have festered if I hadn’t put myself in an uncomfortable position where I had to make a change. Remember, you only pass this way once.

Thanks for your story - glad it worked out for you. I am very sensible by nature so this decision today is quite out of character for me.

Find the Facebook group "thinking of leaving teaching " it's great for support & it gave me the courage to leave. I'm a career switcher from teaching to tech(starting next month)! ☺️

@Dozer

It’s not a given that giving up a stable job without another lined up first would improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Yes completely agree. Which is why I didn't do it 2 years ago. But I still feel the same way.

I went and taught abroad for a few years. It gave me the chance to teach without being completely bogged down with paper work. I got paid more, got to see the world. Best thing I ever did. There's loads in the TES

@PinkiePonk

Find the Facebook group "thinking of leaving teaching " it's great for support & it gave me the courage to leave. I'm a career switcher from teaching to tech(starting next month)! ☺️

Thank you, will check it out

Go for it. I left teaching in FE, trained as dyslexia tutor and moved into HE delivering 1:1 tuition with a very low workload and no work to complete in evenings and weekend but for more pay. I have now left as it was too easy but that’s another story.

Some people really mock the miers bryggs tests (and I know they don't measure resilience, self-awareness, ambition to name just three) but I'm an enfj and when I read my suggested list of careers I did think oh yes I'd like to do all of those (even though some would require 4 years of training)

Not saying stay forever, just to find something else reasonably well paid first!

@waytheleaveswork. Me too, I am actually risk averse. I did work out the minimum I could earn and took a paycut and in all honesty my pension suffered. I think it’s just so hard doing something that you hate and I think having seen both sides, teaching is actually specifically draining in a way that corporate jobs are not, regardless of the holidays etc.

All the naysayers omg

Your gut is talking to you loud and clear.

Leave!

Life is for living, not enduring.

Clearly you are an educated and sensible person, you will absolutely work again.

Please don't sacrifice your life to misery out of fear of the unknown.

Much easier to find a new teaching job whilst in a permanent position especially given you have eight years of stability.

I’ve been teaching 25 years and a Head for ten. I’d say apply for a different type of school in an area you’d like to live then get a mortgage with those savings and then you have a rentable asset even if you decide to teach abroad for a few years or change direction completely.

What I really wouldn’t do is go into supply at the end of this year In summer term when most schools will have burned their supply budget in the staff absence chaos that will be January if infection rates continue.

Schools are all completely different so a change of scenery might be just what you need. My current headship is a breeze compared to my previous one.

@Sodullincomparison

Much easier to find a new teaching job whilst in a permanent position especially given you have eight years of stability.

I’ve been teaching 25 years and a Head for ten. I’d say apply for a different type of school in an area you’d like to live then get a mortgage with those savings and then you have a rentable asset even if you decide to teach abroad for a few years or change direction completely.

What I really wouldn’t do is go into supply at the end of this year In summer term when most schools will have burned their supply budget in the staff absence chaos that will be January if infection rates continue.

Schools are all completely different so a change of scenery might be just what you need. My current headship is a breeze compared to my previous one.

Thank you - that is a really useful perspective.

I'm intrigued though- if schools get through their cover budget, what happens? Other than taking staff frees for cover, won't schools just have to psy for supply teachers to keep schools open?

Glad you've found a better balance in your current headship!

@sweetbellyhigh

All the naysayers omg

Your gut is talking to you loud and clear.

Leave!

Life is for living, not enduring.

Clearly you are an educated and sensible person, you will absolutely work again.

Please don't sacrifice your life to misery out of fear of the unknown.

Thank you. This is, if I'm honest, where I'm at. Bit really helpful to hear other views, if only to confirm how strong that voice is!

Is career break an option?
Know a teacher who took one before worked few years away. Australia, NZ, Canada

From what I saw last year local schools used TAs or shut down bubbles or took on unqualified teaching staff or used everyone else’s time. Schools can’t keep on paying if they have no reserves.

I’m lucky - my school didn’t need to bring in cover.

You’re UPS English- that’s a hefty experience with that That transcends lots of different stages and sectors. What about working in School Admissions in the independent sector? Or at a Trust or Group level? DfE roles? Or working with the university PGCE programme one day per week to give some balance? Or even SLT?

Sounds counterintuitive as Leadership carries stress but it’s different from the day to day teaching stress and energy needed. I don’t have that patience or skillset any more.

I changed from state Secondary Head to independent prep school head.

I’m all for change just suggest you do it from your current strong position.

What about giving teaching abroad a whirl? It would depend on what your other life goals are though. Most people I know who have done it have loved it.

If its primary school, i think it can be so unsettling for the children to have the teacher leave mid year
Is there any way you could stick it out till summer

I teach in a large primary school and we never ever get supply teachers in any more. We cover with support staff or part time staff doing extra days. This may not be the case everywhere but have you factored in that you just may not get supply days?